Just a Little Further
by Violet Rose of Darkness
Summary: In which Violet takes just a few more steps towards Quigley in The Grimm Grotto and it changed everything.


**So... my Quiglet heart won't stay quiet. I was re-watching the scene in the Grimm Grotto when they meet Quigley again and this popped into my head. There's not a lot of Quiglet, but... eh. BASED ON THE TV SERIES! Quigley didn't come back in the book! Please enjoy!**

OoOoOo

Violet and Klaus approached the metal staircase slowly, bracing themselves for what they were about to face. Whoever had taken the Sugar Bowl was definitely part of the V.F.D. (they were the only ones who would want it, after all), but on which side of the schism? It couldn't have been Esmé or Count Olaf, they were back on the submarine. Perhaps it was the Woman With Hair But No Beard and the Man With A Beard But No Hair. If that were the case, they could have been walking into a trap.

But what choice did they have?

"Hello?" called Violet, her head tilted upwards.

"Is someone up there?" asked Klaus, mimicking her actions.

The squeaking of the hatch opening echoed loudly through the grotto. "Violet?" questioned a familiar voice. "Klaus?"

"Quigley?" whispered Klaus in disbelief.

However, a gorgeous smile bloomed on Violet's face. "Quigley!" she exclaimed, rushing towards the staircase. She climbed it with urgency, longing to see the friend she had lost. For one, short moment, all she could see was him. He was the boy who had helped her find her sister, the boy she had shared her first kiss with. He held a special place in her heart. "What are you doing here?"

"V.F.D. sent me!" answered Quigley. He felt his heart tingle at the thought of being with Violet again. His hands ached to caress the softness of her cheek, his fingers longed to touch her long, dark tresses once more. "I got the Sugar Bowl!" He wanted to talk with her once more, to explain everything he had found out. "I've learned so much! When you get up here, I'll tell you everything!" He meant that, too. He'd tell her everything he had learned and listen as she talked back, her eyes shining as the clogs in her brilliant mind began to turn.

Violet was so close to him, now. She only had a few steps left, was so close to reaching out and touching him. She felt her eyes well with tears of relief and elation when she realized she was only a few steps away from her friend.

"Violet, wait!" warned Klaus from below.

She froze, wondering what the issue was. Peering down, Violet noticed that green slime was creeping along the staircase and towards her. "It's the Mesucoid Mycelium," she realized, her heart clenching in despair. No, dammit, no! She was this close to reuniting with Quigley! But of course, her misfortune just had to ruin this for her too.

Could they ever catch a break?

"It's waxing," observed Klaus as the mushroom began to eat away at the staircase.

Quigley's expression scrunched up into one of alarm. "What's going on?" he asked, his own heart beating against his rib cage.

Klaus looked at his sister and noticed how close she was to Quigley. Surely, it would take more time for her to come down to them than to go up with him. If she didn't get off the staircase, she was going to fall and possibly get infected. However, with Quigley he would be safe. No matter how much they needed her, they needed her to be safe and alive even more.

He knew what he had to do.

"Violet, you have to go up!" instructed Klaus.

Violet's eyes went wide. " _What_?" she called down.

"It's spreading towards you!" Klaus snapped. "Violet, you have to go up or you'll be infected!"

"I can't leave you!" Violet shouted back adamantly. No matter how much she wanted to see Quigley again, Klaus and Sunny were her priority. She couldn't just abandon them. They needed her and she needed them just as much.

"We'll be okay!" he tried to assure her. "But you won't if you stay there! You have to go up!"

"No!" Violet refused. She was the oldest, dammit! It was her job to watch out for her younger siblings. What was the point if she couldn't even be there to protect them?

Klaus sighed in frustration. His sister was nothing if not stubborn. It was then that he realized that he was going about this the wrong way. Violet naturally put him and Sunny before her own life. However, Quigley cared for Violet almost as much as he did. If there was anyone he trusted to keep her safe, it was him.

So, Klaus directed his attention to the third triplet. "Quigley, pull her up with you and close the door!" he pleaded. "She'll die if you don't!"

" _What_?" demanded Violet, knowing exactly what her brother was doing. He was playing dirty. "No!"

Quigley, however, could hear the urgency in Klaus' voice, could see the desperation in his eyes. He himself didn't want Violet to die or to even get hurt. She meant far too much to him. His eyes traveled to the girl in question. "Violet..."

She was shaking her head, her tears streaming down her face. " _Don't_ ," she hissed at him dangerously. "Don't you dare, Quigley Quagmire."

"Violet, you'll see them again," he assured her urgently. "At the Last Safe Place! Please come with me!"

"No!"

"Violet!" begged Klaus from below them. "You're going to fall and it's going to get to you! You have to go!"

"I can't leave you!"

"Quigley!" Klaus urged.

Quigley knew what he had to do. Grabbing Violet firmly but gently by her arm, he pulled her towards him, just as the staircase collapsed and before the Medusoid Mycelium could reach them. He quickly shut the hatch after them, separating them from the younger Baudelaire's. The two of them landed onto the ground, Violet on top of Quigley.

"No!" shrieked Violet, lunging for the hatch.

Acting fast, Quigley grabbed her by the arms, doing his best not to hurt her. "Violet, we can't!" he told her.

"Let go!" Violet exclaimed, trying to break free from his grip. "I can't leave them, Quigley! I can't!"

"You can't help them if you _die_!" he shot back. "Violet, please!"

The eldest Baudelaire was sobbing now, thrashing against him. "Let me go!" she shouted. "Let me go, let me go, let me go!"

Quigley turned her around and held her to his chest. "You're going to find them again," he promised, his voice lowering into a softer, gentler tone.

Violet finally stopped fighting him, relaxing in his grip. "I-I can't l-lose them," she sobbed. She wrapped her own arms around his torso, her head resting on his shoulder.

He gently shushed. "You won't," he assured her. "We'll all meet at the Last Safe Place, okay? You'll see them again."

She continued to cry into the crook of his neck, finding some sort of comfort in his embrace. Maybe she was separated from Klaus and Sunny, maybe her siblings were left to the clutches of Count Olaf and Esmé, and maybe she had no idea if they would even make it to the Last Safe Place alive, but she had Quigley with her. Somehow, his presence made the situation a little less bleak.

"I know it's hard," he muttered sympathetically. If there was anyone who knew how she felt, it was him. "but we're not alone. We're together and we'll find Sunny and Klaus."

Violet sniffled. "And Duncan and Isadora," she added.

Quigley managed a smile. "And Duncan and Isadora," he confirmed. He gently pulled away from the hug. "For now, there's someone you have to meet."

She nodded. "Okay."

The two began walking away, Violet a little more reluctantly. She was horrified and outraged and disgusted with herself for leaving her siblings, but what choice did she have? As much as she hated to admit it, Klaus had been right. A fall from that height could have seriously injured her and she would have been infected by the Medusoid Mycelium.

She would have been a burden to them.

Quigley, sensing her sadness, reached out and laced their fingers together. Violet turned to look at him, but he just kept facing straight, as if he hadn't done anything at all. She appreciated the silent comfort. It didn't do much to lighten the situation, but it did make her feel better, if only by a little bit.

As much as she hated herself for leaving Klaus and Sunny, Violet kept going. She needed to be strong for them. She needed to make sure that she was at the Last Safe Place to greet them.

With Quigley beside her, that seemed a little more possible.

OoOoOo

 **Don't expect any follow-ups. It probably won't happen seeing as though I've got about 20+ unfinished stories. But I hoped you liked it and please review!**


End file.
